China urges halt of U.S. THAAD deployment in ROK

BEIJING: China on Friday urged the United States to stop deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander said earlier today that the thaad anti-missile system would be deployed to rok soil in the next eight to 10 months.

"The U.S. deployment of the thaad in the Republic of Korea severely undermines regional strategic balance and harms strategic and security interests of countries in the region, including China," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at the daily press briefing.

Hua added that thaaddeployment goes against efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

"China has repeatedly expressed concern and opposition to the issue,“ she said, stressing that China will take necessary measures to safeguard its national security interests.